In 2011 and 2012 the DEQ received 73 odor complaints from 15 different people regarding the Liberty Environmental Landfill. The DEQ has sent the landfill eight separate Environmental Protection Act violation notices but the owner of the landfill said he never received any of them. (File Photo)

LIBERTY TWP., MI – An official from the state Department of Environmental Quality said the owner of the Liberty Environmental Landfill is downplaying the extent of its odor violations.

“I’m not aware of any landfill in the state of Michigan that had that many nuisance odor violations,” said Larry Bean, DEQ district supervisor for waste management and radiological protection.

He is referring to a section of the Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act (PA 451), section 115 Solid Waste Management.

The Liberty Environmental Landfill is no longer able to accept sewer sludge, the DEQ ordered recently following years of odor violations.

In 2011 and 2012 the DEQ received 73 odor complaints from 15 different people about smells coming from Liberty Environmental Landfill. Bean said they sent the landfill eight separate Environmental Protection Act violation notices.

But David Dunigan, the owner of the landfill said he has not received any violation notices. He is sticking to his guns that the Liberty Landfill is no different than any other landfill in the state.

“They can say what they want, the odors are at every landfill,” Dunigan said. “Believe me there are consent orders in the state at other landfills, maybe not right at this moment.”